Brexit is against spirit of London arts, says head of Alexander McQueen charity

London could find it more difficult to attract top creative talent after Brexit, the head of Alexander McQueen’s foundation for emerging artists fears.

Trino Verkade, described as the late designer’s right-hand woman who worked with him for most of his career, said the collaborative nature of the arts was at odds with the idea of leaving the European Union.

“I do not want to speculate and there is so much that is unknown,” she said. “London is the centre of the artistic world, so we are of course all worried.

“Creative vision is so much about collaboration, which Brexit is not about. I think if it gets in the way of that collaboration, then it will be an issue.

“London is such a great city. We all grew up in this city. It was and is so creative and I love being a part of it. It would be dreadful if that would change.”

Verkade is CEO of the Sarabande Foundation. It was set up in 2007 by McQueen, three years before he committed suicide aged 40. Sarabande is the name of a 17th century form of Spanish dance and lent its name to the designer’s spring/summer 2007 collection.

The foundation offers scholarships to art students and provides them with studios at a discounted rate. Alumnae of the programme include designers Molly Goddard and Serena Gili, while patrons include Naomi Campbell, photographer Nick Knight and director Sam Taylor-Johnson. Verkade said McQueen, the son of an East End taxi driver, would have spoken out about Brexit.

“Lee would be vocal about his thoughts for sure,” she said. “He was fearless like that. I cannot speak for him, obviously, but he would be very vocal about his thoughts on Brexit, he would be speaking about it a lot and the issues.”

Verkade said supporting emerging British artists was more important than ever due to increasing rents for studio space in typically “artistic areas” of the capital. “For sure in London it is tough as an artist,” she said. “Finding the money to rent studios is tough. In the last 10 to 20 years there has been a lot of gentrification in areas that typically were artists’ areas. It is really tough. Sarabande was created to help the creative industries and support them.”

Other artists currently supported by Sarabande include Tenant of Culture, otherwise known as Hendrickje Schimmel, and Judas Companion, or Jasmin Reif. They were commissioned to create artworks for Ketel One Vodka, which will be displayed this month at the Sarabande studios in Haggerston. Based on elements of the vodka-making process, the works were centred on a pair of gloves and a mask.

Verkade added: “Ketel One are one of our main sponsors. They have a similar vision, they are a family business and they are about legacy. In a way they are artists, so they see the value in supporting art themselves.”